Holy Land - Jvari, Mtskheta, Shio Mgvime

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Jvari Church, Mtskheta Georgia

The masterpiece of Early Christian Orthodox architecture Jvari Monastery is dated 585-604 cc AD. Located on the hilltop near the town Mtskheta, it is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1994. The name is translated as the Monastery of the Cross.

According to traditional accounts, in the early 4th century Saint Nino stayed here to pray and erected a wooden cross on Mtskheta’s highest hill. The church was built on the crest of a cliff at a confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Aragvi. It is a representative of the tetraconch architectural type that was popular not only in Georgia but also in the Byzantine world.

Duration: 35 minutes

Stop At: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Arsukidze, Mtskheta 383400 Georgia

Svetitskhoveli is the main Christian Orthodox Cathedral in Georgia, built in 1010-1029 cc by the Georgian architect Arsukisdze and represents the high artistic value of Feudal time’s architecture. It was the main pilgrimage place on the Silk Road, the burial place of the Christ’s Robe, the tomb place of Georgian Kings and the most frequently visited place in Georgia. It is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located in the historical town of Mtskheta, the former capital of the kingdom of Iberia.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Shio-Mgvime Monastery, Mtskheta Georgia

The Shio Mgvime monastery is located in a beautiful forest place on the left bank of the river Kura in Georgia. The road follows a narrow limestone canyon from the main square in the town Mtskheta. The medieval monastery consists by several buildings from different periods: The oldest one is the Monastery of St. John the Baptist (dated 560-580) - the simple cruciform building with octagonal dome; The Upper Church Theotokos (12th c) was a domed church destroyed by invasion and in 1678 was restored as Basilica; Refectory (12th -17th cc); the Cave of St. Shio (6th c ) and a small chapel (12th c) adorned with medieval murals stands separately on a nearby hill.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes